Electrical connectors are widely used to establish electrical and signal connection between two devices, such as two telecommunication devices. With the development of high frequency transmission technology, the number of the contact points in an electrical connector has been significantly increased which enhances the data transmission capability of the connector; however, the manufacture thereof becomes more complicated. An increase in the number of pins within a limited space is a difficult obstacle for the connector manufacturers to overcome because the pitch of the pins is reduced thereby increasing the likelihood that the pins will accidentally contact each other.
Conventional multiple contact point connectors are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,219,294 and Taiwan Patent Application No. 85100751. The Taiwan patent teaches to stack the pins in rows and form a modularized component which is then secured to an insulator by means of retention means. Such a structure increases the assembly efficiency of the connector, but the retention means may not be effective in securing the modularized pin component to the insulator whereby the pins may be moved out of and even detached from the insulator during connection/disconnection of the connector to/from a mating connector. A conventional connector structure is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The conventional connector comprises a stack of pin modules 50 fixed together by means of a tapered section 52 extending in the direction of the stack. The pin module 50 forms a conic configuration 54 on a lateral side thereof for forming an interferential fit between the pin module 50 and an insulator. However, the conic configuration 54 extends in the same direction as a force applied thereto for connecting the connector to a mating connector whereby an increase in the number of contact engagements between the connector and the mating connector causes the pin module 50 to gradually disengage from the insulator.
Furthermore, in multiple contact point connectors, each pin has a mounting section for being mounted to a circuit board. To prevent unexpected contact from occurring between the mounting sections of two adjacent pins, a spacer is usually provided, for receiving the mounting sections of the pins in holes defined therein. Such a spacer is disclosed in Taiwan Patent Application Nos. 81210871 and 84207642 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,125,853. With the increase in the number of the pins, it becomes difficult to simultaneously insert the mounting sections of the pins into the holes of the spacer. To overcome such a problem, an additional jig is used. This increases costs and is not effective in enhancing assembly efficiency.
It is thus desirable to provide an improved electrical connector structure which simplifies the assembly thereof while providing a firm construction so as to overcome the disadvantages encountered in the prior art.